The trailer for Marvel's newest Disney+ shows has become the subject of some unfortunate dislike-bombing online. Marvel Studios finally dropped the trailer for Ironheart (after a record-breaking wait) ahead of its debut on streaming on June 24. The teaser contained some exciting teases for Riri Williams' (Dominique Thorne) journey in the show, which will pick up with the genius prodigy after her introduction in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
In the hours since Marvel Studios dropped the trailer for Ironheart on May 14, the video on YouTube received a startling number of dislikes. As of writing, it has gained over 5.9 million views and 155,000 likes. Unfortunately, this is offset by 238,000 dislikes.
There's no definitive reason why Ironheart is the subject of such dislike-bombing. The comments on the YouTube video are mixed, with everything from the trailer's use of rap music to the design of Riri's iron suit coming under fire. One comment says, "keep your expectations low so you won't be disappointed." Another criticizes the lengthy delay of the series (which has been in the works since 2020), writing, "Can't believe this was filmed 3 years ago and only is now coming out."
Many commenters seem to take issue with Riri's idea to create an Iron suit after claiming she wants to make something exceptional in the trailer, given that Tony Stark has already beaten her to the punch. "'I wanna create something iconic'...Creates something that already exists," one user wrote. Others disliked the reiteration in the trailer that Thorne's character is a genius: "Practically every line in this trailer is another character telling her how much of a genius she is."
That said, there's plenty of praise in the comments, with fans expressing their love for Black Panther's Ryan Coogler (who is producing Ironheart) and excitement for Jim Rash's return as the MIT Dean.
The six-episode series will follow Riri Williams after she returns home to Chicago. She becomes entangled with Parker Robbins (aka The Hood), who promises to help her achieve her inventing dreams. Ironheart is created by Chinaka Hodge and stars Thorne, Anthony Ramos, Alden Ehrenreich, Lyric Ross, and Regan Aliyah.
Marvel Studios Has a Dislike-Bombing Problem
Ironheart is far from the first MCU project to receive dislikes online. In 2023, the trailer for The Marvels received a similar reception, with viewers reacting negatively to the film's diverse and female-led cast. While this wasn't explicitly outlined in Ironheart's comment section, the series is led by a young Black lead and features a cast that includes racially diverse and LGBTQIA+ actors. These progressive actions can often be seen as a negative by some users online, hence they'll try to make a statement by disliking the marketing materials.
While this attitude is disappointing, it's not unusual. Marvel's Agatha All Along was review-bombed on IMDb with complaints about the series' "woke" elements.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law suffered a similar reception ahead of its premiere, with most of its dislikers being males over 30.
With Marvel Studios projects as large and widespread as they are, it's impossible to please everyone. Review and dislike-bombing have become common practices for unhappy fans to try to make a statement, although they rarely work in changing the studio's mind, as Marvel continues to front its projects with diverse talent and progressive themes. The motion should also not be taken as an accurate reflection of the show's quality, particularly in the case of Ironheart, which hasn't even premiered yet.
